Intelligent Power Today Magazine

While the threat of shock and electrocution from inadvertent contact with energized parts has long been recognized, the arc flash and arc blast hazards have only fairly recently been incorporated into the electrical safety standards.

The U.S. federal agency the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces electrical workplace safety standards outlined in the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 70E: “Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace”. Basic compliance with guidelines in the NFPA 70E 2015 Edition, can be established with a five-step process.

Over the last few decades, arc-fl ash hazards have been a significant concern for many electrical workers and employers. Many methods have been developed through the years to assess incident energy.
The most common is that of the IEEE 1584, Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations. These equations have remained the same since the standard was first published in 2002. Based on the results of more than 1,800 tests, the 2018 edition of the guide provides new formulas that are both more accurate and more complex. These formulas also take more parameters into account now, including the conductor orientation at...